This article explores native speakerism, a chauvinistic ideology, in reference to relevant literature. It first exposes its ideological essence and adverse effects on English language teaching (ELT), and then moves to deconstruct the native speakerist practices concerning English language teachers, English language norm, cultural foundation of ELT…

This article explores the ways in which the language of the hero's journey can serve as a heuristic for teachers at all stages of their professional experience. Teachers in Canada and the United States were interviewed via Skype about their experiences around writing and literacy. Four teachers are profiled here, two from Canada and two from the…

This article examines how Russian speakers in Ireland delimit and describe (their/the) Russian language in relation to representations of standard Russian. It is based on analysis of discussions conducted between speakers of Russian living in Ireland, facilitated by the Our Languages (2008-2011) research project, investigating multilingualism and…

Even though engineering and science are tasked with developing solutions and knowledge for a diverse population, Black and Brown communities remain severely underrepresented in these disciplines. The problem exceeds easy solutions like "a seat at the table" and requires rethinking with whom and for whom the field designs ideas and…

The recent theoretical debate over the role of translanguaging in dual language programs can be described as moving from prohibition to promotion. Indeed, many researchers, theorists, and educators are now encouraging translanguaging. At the center of the debate are teachers and their beliefs, which some argue influence their practice. Teachers'…

Maritime Sign Language (MSL) is a Canadian, minority sign language that originally stems from British Sign Language (BSL). Currently used by elderly Deaf people in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland (and Labrador), it is a moribund language, having undergone language shift to American Sign Language (ASL). MSL is…

One of the most intriguing questions in the investigation of second-language acquisition concerns the role of learners' first language (L1). Comparing learners of different backgrounds (L1 German vs. L1 Romance languages), we aim to explore the acquisition of tense and aspect features in Spanish as a second language (L2). Findings show that the L1…

Keeping in mind the theoretical issues of English language education reforms corresponding to globalization, this paper investigates the thought and action of Yoshisaburo Okakura's later years, who lead the systematisation of English education. First, I examine and consider how Okakura accepted Basic English which was the simplification of the…

English has reached lingua franca status due to globalization, and the lingua franca role of English has already started to influence teacher education and the field ELT. Although there have been plenty of studies about ELF and related issues, the classroom practices in such studies need more exploration to describe the position of English in the…

How we are to understand the formative and informative processes of language? At one level, language is understood as a medium for communicating knowledge through propositions that form or represent cognitive understanding and so can be defined as informative. The concern of this article is to explore the scope of this notion of linguistic and…

Despite an increasing interest in pronunciation instruction in English as a majority language or international "lingua franca," less is known about pronunciation learning in non-English minority languages, especially among child learners. Bilingual education programs provide a unique context to address this research gap, as they involve…

The aim of this personal reflection is to revisit the major concepts that have informed my academic research in the area of applied linguistics and second language development, and show how my overall pedagogical approach has evolved, thanks to the contribution of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (SCT). The main focus of this paper is on the…

The continued underrepresentation of people of color in senior-level leadership roles within higher education underscores the need for targeted leadership development programming. Building upon the well-documented benefits of mentoring, a recent focus on sponsorship has emerged in both popular and scholarly literature. The present article reports…

Classifying people into categories not only helps humans simplify a complex social world but also contributes to stereotyping and discrimination. This research examines how social categorization develops by testing how language imbues with meaning otherwise arbitrary differences between people. Experimental studies (N = 129) with 2-year-olds…

Drawing on Michael Cronin's analysis of "Stagecoach," and on narrative theory and image studies, this paper aims to examine the role of language and translation in two classical Hollywood westerns, namely "They Died with Their Boots On" and "Fort Apache." It will consider whether these films provide only negative…